While five candidates are seeking election to four 4-year seats on the High School District 218 Board on April 1, only two are unopposed.
Incumbents Thomas Kosowski, Candice Cantelo and Steve Radice are seeking reelection to the seven-person board with Thomas McGinnis and Jennifer Bednarczyk challenging.
District 218 holds elections based on seven subdistricts, so the seats sought by the candidates depend on where they live. The districts include Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Richards High School in Oak Lawn and Shepard High School in Palos Heights.
McGinnis, who lives in Crestwood, is challenging Kosowski, who lives in Alsip, according to Cook County filings. Bednarczyk, Cantelo and Radice are running unopposed.
District 218 saw structural and leadership changes at the beginning of the school year under Superintendent Josh Barron. New principals at Richards and Shepard are part of Barron’s plan of restructuring the district to build on academic improvements seen in recent years.
McGinnis said Wednesday he works as a physical education teacher in Cook County District 130, a feeder school of District 218, and is running to continue improving students’ lives. He also works directly with high school students as a coach and driver’s education instructor.
“We’re working together for a common goal — to make the kids’ lives better, make the schools better, make the teachers want to be at the schools,” McGinnis said. “I want District 218 to be a place that people brag about and people want to send their kids to.”
McGinnis said he is an advocate for “equality and inclusion.”
“I know that’s a big buzz word,” McGinnis said. “There’s been a huge push now for social emotional learning, especially with the pandemic.”
He said as a teacher, he noticed students struggling more with communication since the COVID-19 lockdowns and hopes to encourage programs that build those relational skills.
Kosowski did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Southtown.
In the uncontested races, Radice, of Oak Lawn, was appointed to the board last spring. He said he didn’t have any particular interest in school board leadership at the time, but has since grown fond his board colleagues and making decisions that support students and staff.
“I enjoy having my finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the community, helping make sure things are done right, or at least for the right reasons,” Radice said Thursday.
He is retired from the village of Oak Lawn, where he was director of economic development.
Radice said he has effortlessly fallen in sync with the rest of the board, who he said are “very in tune with things we should be doing or shouldn’t be doing.”
He said he’s supportive of facilities projects underway at Shepard and Eisenhower and is excited to see them through completion.
Fellow uncontested incumbent Cantelo said in a written statement to the Daily Southtown she teaches in District 130 and has worked at the Blue Island Park District for 20 years. She was first elected in 2021 with the motivation to “provide our communities with an educator’s view on pivotal decisions that directly affect our youth,” she said.
Cantelo said she is proud of the district’s financial management, and her approach to minimize taxpayer strife amid record high property taxes is to maximize the value of each dollar spent.
“This includes evaluating expenses, seeking alternative funding sources and engaging in transparent communication with the community regarding our financial decisions,” she said. “I will also continue to support our fiscal responsibilities while making it a priority our staff is well paid for their hard work while continuing to grow state of the art facilities for our students.”
Radice said he hasn’t heard complaints about property taxes from constituents but similarly understands the importance of fiscal responsibility.
“Most of us are homeowners, so you can’t make a decision based on just personal gains or losses,” Radice said. “The better the school district, the more you can offer at the schools, and then the property values increase.”
Bednarczyk also did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Southtown.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
